Cystitis is a disease that affects the urinary system of the female or male body. This pathology literally means an inflammatory process in the bladder, especially its wall. Many people wonder whether men have cystitis, because this pathology is more typical for women. But men are also susceptible to this disease.
The difference between male and female cystitis is not only in the frequency of the lesion, but also in the reasons for its occurrence. If the pathology in women often develops at the beginning, in men the inflammatory process occurs as a complication of another disease.
Pathogens that cause cystitis in men and women can be different. Most often, inflammation is caused by Escherichia coli bacteria, but instead, staphylococci, proteus and various protozoa, such as Trichomonas, can settle on the wall of the cyst. A separate class consists of pathogens of sexually transmitted infections, complications of which can be cystitis.
Etiology
The causes of cystitis symptoms in women are:
- Any untreated (or undetected) diseases of the genitourinary system are often inflammatory in nature (both specific, for example, venereal, and non-specific);
- Chronic pathologies of any body system (especially in the acute stage);
- Hypothermia (not as common as local in the genital area and pelvic organs, for example, means sitting on cold concrete);
- Professions that require long-term sitting (office duties, etc. );
- Chronic stool disorders (constipation);
- improper personal hygiene of the genitals;
- Experiments in sexual life (this means changing anal contact to vaginal contact without first changing the condom or water procedures by the partner);
- Tight and synthetic underwear, including jeans, tights, pants;
- Insufficient urination per day (at least 5 times more than normal);
- Failure to observe personal hygiene during menstruation is one of the common causes of cystitis in women;
- Immunodeficiency conditions of any origin (both primary immune deficiencies and reduced immunity caused by stress, excessive physical exertion).
Unlike women in the male body, proper adherence to intimate hygiene rules is often enough to prevent inflammation. And even in this case, cystitis can occur as a complication of advanced urethritis. However, there are a number of factors that cause pathology.
Causes of cystitis symptoms in men:
- inflammatory processes (acute and chronic) in the prostate gland, urethra, testicles and its appendages;
- anomalies of the anatomical structure of the urethra (for example, strictures) that cause urine stagnation;
- Urolithiasis or foreign bodies entering the urinary system;
- The presence of venereal inflammatory pathologies (gonorrhea is especially complicated by cystitis);
- Pyelonephritis or tuberculosis of the kidneys (the damage is related to the lower route of infection);
- Inflammatory processes in the male body (rarely);
- Damage to the organs of the urinary system or directly to the bladder;
- Incorrect diagnostic and therapeutic manipulations in the organs of the genitourinary system;
- Diabetes is a dangerous predisposing factor.
Symptoms
Despite the etiological differences in the development of the inflammatory process, the clinical picture of the disease in both sexes is not different. Symptoms of cystitis in men and women:
- Frequent (and often false) urge to urinate;
- Pain during urination (burning or cramping pain, intense, short, characterized by an increase in amplitude towards the end of urination);
- Constant pain (in women in the lower abdomen, and in men in the penis or pubis);
- A decrease in the amount of urine with a single urination;
- Subfebrile temperature and general symptoms of the inflammatory process (weakness, fatigue, pallor, dizziness) are characteristic of bacterial cystitis.
Since this pathology is characterized by a chronic form of cystitis, it should be clarified that the clinical picture will be blurred in such cases. All of the above symptoms will be pronounced only during periods of exacerbation. In remission, patients may experience abdominal or groin pain or frequent urination.
Classification
In addition to acute and chronic forms of the disease, there are also different types of cystitis.
- Bacterial cystitis (or infectious). This form can be specific or non-specific. The disease is caused by infectious agents, mainly bacteria. Specific pathology options are sexually transmitted diseases that can be complicated by cystitis symptoms in men and women.
- Interstitial cystitis. This form is not infectious, but is caused by mechanical or chemical agents. In this case, all layers of the bladder are affected until the appearance of perforated ulcers. Factors that can cause the disease are injuries, chemicals, physical effects.
- radiation cystitis. This form of cystitis differs in a separate form according to the characteristics of its occurrence. In itself, the type of radiation is considered interstitial, but it occurs not as a result of accidental exposure to a factor, but in the treatment of oncological diseases. More often this applies to the appearance of symptoms of acute or chronic cystitis in men, because their pelvic organs are often exposed to radiation due to prostate cancer.
- Hemorrhagic cystitis. In fact, this form is a complication of ordinary cystitis and is characterized by bloody impurities in the urine from the bladder. Impurities can be both microscopic, that is, invisible to the eye, and abundant (hematuria).
Illness during pregnancy
Cystitis in early and late stage pregnant women is a serious pathology that requires high-quality treatment. Women are more prone to bladder inflammation than men due to anatomical features, but pregnant women are at risk for a number of additional reasons:
- Reduce the body's resistance to infectious pathogens;
- Insufficient nutrition of the bladder due to the pressure of a large uterus on the blood vessels that feed it;
- Hormonal changes.
Congestion and decreased immunity are what cause the development of cystitis during pregnancy. The main feature of the inflammatory process in pregnant women is its asymptomatic course, which is not always the case, but still occurs. Therefore, regular examination of a woman should be aimed at identifying comprehensive and hidden pathologies. Treatment of cystitis during pregnancy is necessary, but difficult, because taking strong antibiotics can have a negative effect on the fetus.
Therefore, in this case, they try to limit themselves to local therapy in the form of instillation. If this does not help, then the least dangerous antibiotics for the future child are prescribed.
Manifestation after sexual intercourse
The most common cause of cystitis after intercourse is the anatomical feature of the female body where the urethra is located. If the vagina is opened on the eve, the infection is much easier. Among the causes of cystitis after sexual intercourse, cicatricial changes in tissues after deprivation of virginity in a girl are also distinguished.
Such adhesive connections have a mechanical effect on the urethra and prevent its closure. Hormonal changes also contribute to the development of cystitis in women after sexual intercourse, because the protective properties of all mucous membranes of the body weaken. Abstinence from intercourse is a risk factor for cystitis, and the longer intercourse lasts, the more likely it is to develop cystitis the next time around.
Diagnostics
A bright clinical picture in acute cystitis is a sufficient indicator to make a diagnosis, a number of studies are prescribed for chronic or deleted forms of the disease. To determine the symptoms of cystitis in women and men, use:
- Clinical blood test (to detect the inflammatory process);
- urinalysis (to detect leukocytes or microhematuria);
- bacterial culture of urine (the causative agent is identified and an antibiotic sensitivity test is immediately performed);
- Studies for the detection of venereal pathology (serological studies, PCR);
- special studies of urine;
- Cystoscopy (done as a last resort with working procedures).
When the diagnosis is confirmed, it is necessary to start treatment of cystitis immediately.
Treatment
The mainstays of treatment for this inflammatory disease are antibacterial drugs (if the pathology is caused by an infectious agent). Preparations for cystitis in women and men should be highly sensitive to the pathogen, so a special test is performed in advance. Yes, its results apply antibacterial tablets for cystitis in women and men with a wide spectrum of action. In addition to drugs for the treatment of cystitis in women, collargol instillation is highly effective.
This type of therapy is considered as an additional treatment for pregnant women where antibiotics cannot be used and in advanced cases. Herbal preparations are widely used herbal remedies for cystitis in women and men or otherwise. They are used together with antibiotics or if cystitis is mild and does not require intensive treatment.
Symptomatic drugs for cystitis in men and women are antispasmodics that relieve pain. Or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which relieve pain and also reduce inflammation in the bladder.
Probiotics are prescribed to prevent the side effects of antibiotics for cystitis in men and especially in women. In women, the correct microflora of the vagina is important, so taking these drugs is necessary.
If the inflammatory process is caused by any primary pathology, the basis of how to treat cystitis will be to get rid of this disease. In men, the treatment of prostate gland damage and sexually transmitted infections in both sexes is of particular importance. Physiotherapy procedures are used for additional treatment of chronic cystitis in women and men. They are prescribed after getting rid of the severity of the process or during periods of remission.